


Sweet Christmas

by dollylux



Series: Fic Advent Calendar 2015: Siblings, Husbands, Lovely Ladies, and Other Miscreants [10]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Awkward Crush, Barista Chris, M/M, Shy Sebastian, Social Anxiety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-10
Updated: 2015-12-10
Packaged: 2018-05-06 00:24:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5395670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dollylux/pseuds/dollylux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sebastian's sweet tooth brought him to Sweetbrew, but the barista kept him coming back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sweet Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Exaggerated_Specificity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Exaggerated_Specificity/gifts).



> day ten | prompt: hot chocolate
> 
> Although I've RPed Chris and Sebastian with Leslie for a few months, this is my first time writing them and posting something with them. Let me know if you like it? I'm so nervous.
> 
> (Title taken from Luke Cage because he's a cupcake.)

Sebastian has a little bit of a sweet tooth.

He loves cinnamon rolls for breakfast, likes extra sugar in his sweet tea, always buys the crazy dessert-flavored gums, and he loves hot chocolate in the morning.

Every morning, actually.

There’s a coffee shop near his work that makes a pretty damn tasty hot chocolate, and it’s big enough that he can have it as his desk and sip on it straight through the morning until lunch.

Sweetbrew also has Chris, the dreamiest barista to have ever lived, but that’s a sidenote.

A total sidenote. Absolutely not the point of Sebastian’s dedication to the place.

Shut up.

 

The line is nearly out the door when he comes in one bitterly cold morning in December, and the constant opening and closing of the door means that none of the heat being blasted from the vents overhead is actually helping. He shivers, keeping his hands in his pockets and his shoulders hunched up, trying his damnedest not to look as impatient and anxious as he feels.

By the time he makes it up to the counter, he only has seven minutes to get to his desk, and he wonders idly to himself how hard it is to run with a full cup of hot chocolate.

“Good morning.” Chris' smile is big and caffeinated, his broad shoulders practically bursting out of his tight t-shirt under that black apron. Sebastian gives a shy smile to Chris' forehead, hands out of his pockets now to clutch at the wooden counter so he doesn’t fall over or something.

“Hey,” he mumbles back, squinting up at the menu above Chris' head like he has a decision to make, like he’s going to get something else. Like he ever, _ever_ gets fucking _anything_ else. “Can I have, um. A hot chocolate with soy milk and no whipped cream?”

Chris waits him out with the patience of a saint, and he never turns to call Sebastian’s order out to Scarlett until he’s done saying it, even though he very obviously knows what Sebastian is going to get.

Along with having a sweet tooth, he also really, really enjoys the comfort of reliable things.

“Sure thing,” Chris says, his voice low and quiet in the bustling cafe, like it’s meant just for Sebastian. “That’ll be $3.74.”

Sebastian pulls the five dollar bill out of his pocket and straightens it out before he hands it over, wanting desperately to but avoiding touching Chris' warm hand as he does.

“Keep the change,” he tells him, like he always does. This is the part where he can meet Chris' eyes, where he can smile at him, just for a second. Chris is smiling right back, always is, his mouth so pretty and red under the scruff of his beard, his eyes so vividly blue that it’s almost shocking.

“Thanks, Sebastian,” Chris says, opening the register and taking the change out to drop it into the tip jar on the counter. “I swear, you pay for at least one of my meals every single week.”

“That’s just because I’m a hot chocolate addict,” Sebastian mumbles, grinning as he ducks his head, reaching up to rub at the burning back of his neck.

“Nah, it’s because you’re a sweetheart.” Chris closes the register and beams at him, nodding over to the pick-up window, just like he always does. “Scarlet’ll have your order right up. Have a good day.”

“You, too,” Sebastian replies, a little breathy, maybe scampering a bit on his way over to Scarlett.

Scarlett is smirking at him when she turns to hand him his to-go cup of hot chocolate, her eyes narrowed and knowing and frankly making Sebastian nervous. He takes the cup from her, holding it in both hands to warm them. He stays where he is because Scarlett is still staring at him, and he feels strangely like he needs her permission to go.

“What?” he finally asks.

“We’ve got this, uh. This new whipped cream. It has cinnamon in it. Are you sure you don’t want some?” She holds up the can and gives it a little shake, her eyebrow quirked up to try and entice him.

“Oh, I can’t,” he replies quickly, taking a step back and nearly stumbling on an old lady. “I’m lactose-intolerant. That’s why, um. Why I get the soy milk?”

“Ahh,” she says, putting the can back down, her hands going to her hips. She’s still smiling. “I just thought maybe you liked the taste of soy.”

“No, I. I prefer almond milk, but.” He shrugs, bringing the cup up toward his mouth and blowing into the little hole in the lid, letting the scent of the chocolate drift up and comfort him. “But this is good, too.”

Scarlett’s back to smiling, but she switches it up by glancing over at Chris who is busy taking the next customer’s order. She shakes her head a little and sighs, grabbing the hand towel off her shoulder and waving it at him.

“Have a good one, kid,” she says, turning back to her espresso machine.

“Yeah. Yeah, you--” he trails off, ducking his head and weaving his way through the people, his heart racing for having to talk for so long to such an intimidating woman.

 

“Good morning, Sebastian!” Chris' smile is like Christmas morning, and Sebastian can smell the faint hint of his cologne from here, even through all the coffee smells. His heart is right at the back of his throat.

“H-Hi. Hey, Chris,” he says quietly to the counter. He shoves his hands in his pockets again. “Can--”

“It’s snowing pretty hard out there, huh?” Chris rocks up onto the tips of his toes and back onto his heels, nodding at the windows behind Sebastian, at the steady, thick fall of snow drifting down from the sky.

“Hm?” Sebastian glances behind him, watching the snow fall for a few seconds before he turns back around, maybe smiling a little, way ahead of schedule. “Oh, yeah. Yeah, it’s, um. It’s pretty cold out.”

“Are you bundled up?” Chris looks him over as critically as any mother, frowning when his eyes catch on Sebastian’s neck. “Where’s your scarf?”

“I don’t really own one?” He reaches up to touch his neck, fingers lighting on the hollow of his throat and trailing down, something that Chris seems to be watching avidly. He shoves his hands into his pockets. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”

“No, that’s--here, tell Scarlett what you want. I’ll be right back.” He grabs Scarlett by the shoulders and positions her in front of the register, and she stares at Sebastian in confusion, like she doesn’t know who he is when he’s not standing at her pick-up counter.

“What’s going on?” she asks Sebastian.

“Um. Um,” he starts, shifting from one foot to the other and contemplating just leaving, not really wanting to tell Scarlett his order because her eyes are _so intense._ “Can I get--”

“Hot chocolate, soy milk, no whip?” She raises an eyebrow at him as she punches blindly at the computer screen, smirking when Sebastian just blinks at her.

“Yes?” he replies.

“Got it. $3.74.” She puts her hand out for his five dollar bill, and she makes the change and dumps it into the jar before he can even gather his wits to tell her to do it.

He exhales in a soft rush, flustered at not being able to do things in order, not being able to get his hot chocolate the way he’s used to, that Chris just walked off and left. He feels how hot his face is, and he keeps his head down as he makes his way to Scarlett’s counter, determined not to let on how upset he is by the whole thing.

“Here,” comes a voice from his right, and when he turns to follow it Chris is all of a sudden just _there_ , so tall and so… complete with his whole body visible, not hidden by the counter. He’s wearing jeans, and his waist is so narrow and he’s so tall and wait. Wait, what--

Chris wraps a thick, soft black scarf around Sebastian’s neck, stepping in close to do it, taking care to loop it around snugly and fix it around his shoulders to drape just so down his chest. Sebastian stares up at him in absolute shock, his pupils probably blown wide, his cheeks more pink than they usually are when he looks at Chris.

“Um,” is all he can say, the word trembling between them. He reaches up to touch the scarf like it’s made of spun gold, and he realizes with a painful, delicious jolt of arousal that the scarf smells just like Chris, that the scent of him is absolutely everywhere now, living in Sebastian’s nose and surrounding him with an incredible comfort.

“Don’t want you to be cold,” Chris tells him, speaking softer than usual, even. 

“What about you?” Sebastian’s eyes widen even more, picturing Chris shivering and walking home through a blizzard wearing nothing but his threadbare white t-shirt.

“I’ll be fine,” he shrugs, giving Sebastian an aw-shucks smile that has Sebastian’s hands tightening on the scarf. “I’m hot-blooded.”

“Get back over here, loverboy,” Scarlett says from the pick-up counter. They both turn to look at her, finding her pointing behind the register with one hand and holding Sebastian’s hot chocolate with the other. 

“You look like a scarecrow,” Chris mutters, throwing a pretty loaded glare at Scarlett before he hurries back around the counter. Sebastian takes the cup from her with a mumbled thanks, surprised at how her scowl twists into a smile when their eyes meet.

“Stay warm,” Scarlett tells him cheerfully, her wink absolutely diabolical. 

“Take care, Sebastian,” Chris says with a little wave of thick fingers, and Sebastian is so overwhelmed, so terrified, and so _happy_ that he can say absolutely nothing back to either of them.

He practically runs from the coffeeshop. He keeps the scarf on all day, his nose buried in the squishy knit of it.

 _Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris_ , his heart sighs.

 

Sunday means no Sweetbrew, no hot chocolate, and no Chris. He makes instant hot chocolate at home while eating a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and hates every sip. 

And if he wears Chris' scarf around the apartment and absolutely nothing else, well.

It’s none of your business anyway, is it?

 

Monday comes with a bright sky, and Sebastian finds himself smiling way before he even steps inside Sweetbrew There’s no line at the counter, an absolute miracle, and he’s practically grinning by the time he looks up at Chr--

“What can I get for you?” A girl with long, honey-colored hair is giving him a polite smile in _Chris' spot_ , and Sebastian actually gapes at her, his eyebrows raised in disbelief.

“Who are you?” he stammers.

“I’m… Lizzie,” she replies uncertainly, fingers brushing against her nametag. Her smile wavers but doesn’t drop away. “Can I… help you?”

“Where’s Chris?” His heart races with sudden dread, a hundred different possibilities drifting through his head: he quit, he was fired, he hates Sebastian and asked for a transfer to some city in Nebraska that Sebastian would never venture to because he’s afraid of wide open spaces, he’s off getting married to a pretty girl, he’s off getting married to a pretty boy, he’s laid up in a hospital because he got hit by that city bus that doesn’t watch where the hell it’s going on this street, he’s--

“Sebastian?”

He blinks back into the present and realizes that he’s gasping, that there are tears in his eyes, that Scarlett has actually come around the counter and is squeezing his arm and looking at him worriedly.

“I’m…” he whispers, breath shuddering in his chest. “I…”

“What’s going on? Are you alright? Should I call 911?” She searches his eyes like she can diagnose him, her eyebrows drawn together but she’s still somehow so pretty.

“No! No, I’m… sorry. It’s been a stressful morning,” he says weakly, clearing his throat and glancing over at Lizzie who looks stricken and guilty, like this is all her fault. “Sorry about that.”

“Can you get him a hot chocolate made with soy milk and no whip started, babe?” Scarlett asks Lizzie with an intimate smile. Lizzie just nods, giving Sebastian one last glance before she disappears. 

“Babe?” is all Sebastian can find to say. Scarlett looks back over at him, giving a surprised little laugh and letting her hand fall away from his arm, much to his relief.

“She’s my girlfriend. Don’t worry, she’s not gonna file a sexual harassment complaint. But seriously, are you okay?”

“Where’s Chris?” he says softly, lowering his head to hide the shame that covers his face. He should not get so upset. He should not get so attached to people who barely know him. He knows that. He’s always known that. His therapist has told him that for years.

He still just can’t help it. Not with Chris.

“He’s home today. He’s got a cold. That’s all.” Her voice is low and soothing like maybe she’s hoping to calm Sebastian down, but he looks up at her in horror when he realizes. When he remembers.

“He’s sick,” Sebastian says, staring at the wall past Scarlett’s head. “He’s sick because of me. Because I took his scarf. Because he walked home and didn’t have his scarf. It’s my fault. I should have brought it back. I shouldn’t have taken it. I should have--”

 _”Sebastian._ ” She gives his shoulders a firm shake, and he blinks a few times, forcing himself to focus on her. “You are not. The reason. He’s sick. He’s sick because he’s an idiot who spent three days with his sister’s snotty kid who had a cold.”

She pauses.

“Besides, you can’t get a cold from cold weather,” she adds quickly. “So… chill out.”

“So he’s... “ He licks his lips, his heart rate finally dropping for the first time since he saw Lizzie and not Chris. “He’ll be alright?”

“Yeah,” she smiles, giving his arm a little squeeze. “Yeah, he’ll be alright.”

“Tell him… tell him…” he starts, searching his worried mind for something good for Chris to hear while he’s curled up sick in bed. He suddenly meets Scarlett’s eyes. “Oh, god. Please don’t tell him about this. Don’t tell him I got weird. Please don’t tell him I’m weird.”

Scarlett grins.

“Hey, Sebastian? I’m pretty sure that’s not a secret.” She gives him a tiny, playful shove before letting him go again. “But seriously, I won’t say anything. Promise.”

“Thanks,” he mumbles, deflating with relief.

“Here you go,” Lizzie says, leaning over the counter to hand Sebastian his hot chocolate. He takes it and is calmed by the familiar smell of it, but it reminds him sharply that Chris isn’t here, that Chris didn’t have any part of his morning. His chest aches.

“I didn’t pay for this.” He reaches into his pocket for his five dollar bill.

“No charge,” Scarlett replies, waving away the money. “You’ve more than earned a free drink in the last few months.”

“Then…” He stares at the bill in his hand and shakes his head. He can’t just keep the money. It’s not how his mornings work. He hands it to Scarlett, pushes it into her hand and holds his coffee with both of his own so she can’t give it back. “Then just put it in the tip jar.”

“Chris’ll be upset that he missed that,” she says as she walks back around the counter, dropping the money in the jar with a grin. “He could’ve bought like… two frozen burritos with that.”

“Tell him I hope he feels better. Okay?” There. That’s not bad. That’s nice and normal and not weird. Right?

“Of course.” Her expression softens, and she looks strangely like she really wants to give him a hug. “Have a good day, Sebastian.”

“You, too.” He pauses, forcing himself to meet Lizzie’s eyes. “Nice to meet you.”

She smiles, giving a nod.

“Take care.”

He leaves with his head down, already kicking himself for the whole interaction. It won’t stop for the rest of the day, or the rest of the night, for that matter.

 

He avoids the coffee shop for the next two days, not wanting to risk Chris not being there and having another episode like he did on Monday. If Chris is there, fine. If he’s not… well. At least Sebastian doesn’t have to see it.

He ventures back in on Thursday, the sky grey and choked with snow clouds, and he tenses as he walks in, ready for the emotional punch of not seeing Chris.

“There you are!”

There’s a line of three people but Chris is staring right at him, absolutely beaming at him and waving like a goofball, like Sebastian is his friend on the playground and they have a date to climb the monkeybars. The other people in line turn to look at him, to see who has the gorgeous barista so excited, and Sebastian hides the bursting grin on his face by looking down, blushing for the attention, for Chris being so happy to see him, for Chris being there at all, and also for wearing Chris’ scarf again. (Still.)

He waits his turn, and by the time he gets to the counter his heart is thumping around in his chest, skipping and leaping and probably throwing confetti in there. 

“Where’ve you been? I was gettin’ worried about you. I was about to leave a trail of cocoa powder leading up to the coffeehouse just to try and find you.” Chris grins and leans over the counter to speak quiet and closer to Sebastian, and his sudden nearness has Sebastian nearly breathless.

“I heard you were sick,” Sebastian says back, residual fear and ache from the last few days rearing back up and tugging at his chest. “I’m…” He glances up at Chris through his lashes, licking his lips. “Are you okay now?”

“Yeah,” Chris murmurs, his smile devastatingly beautiful and intimate and just for Sebastian. “Yeah, I’m alright. It’s good to see you.”

“Good.” Sebastian nods, cold, bare fingers gripping at the counter, his fingernail tugging at the nail that sticks up the tiniest bit, just like he always does. It’s comforting, grounding, giving him enough courage to look up at Chris again. “It’s… I’m glad you’re back.”

“What can I get for you, Sebastian?” The sweet rumble of it goes right through Sebastian like a touch. He grips the counter and has to look away from him, from those eyes. He stares up at the menu like he always does, focusing on the dessert section, the banana bread, the blueberry muffin, the apple streusel. 

“Hot chocolate with soy milk and no whipped cream, please.” He says it on an exhale that comes out like a relieved sigh, finally feeling calm, at peace. Everything is right again.

“You got it. $3.74.” He holds his hand out for Sebastian’s five dollar bill and puts the change in the tip jar with a flourish, like the sound of the change hitting the bottom of the glass cup is just as satisfying to him as it is to Sebastian. “Scarlett’ll take care of you.”

“Thanks.” He smiles at his hands, wishing he were brave, that he could say something honest to Chris, that he could prolong this moment somehow. He gasps suddenly, his eyes widening as he looks up at Chris. “Oh, your scarf! God, I’m still wearing your--here. Here.”

He starts to unwind it and Chris reaches over the counter to stop him, a firm hand tugging at his forearm.

“Sebastian, no, it’s okay. It’s okay, I promise. Keep it. Please keep it on. I’ve got another. I’ve got too many scarves, I promise.”

“He’s not lying,” Scarlett says suddenly, holding Sebastian’s cup out for him to take. “His scarf collection is kind of worrying.”

“Hush,” Chris laughs, giving her a hip-check that makes Sebastian smile. He lets go of the scarf and takes his hot chocolate, looking between the two of them and giving them a nod, lifting his cup in an awkward salute.

“Okay, well… bye. And thanks. For… for the scarf.”

“Have a good day,” Chris says, his voice a little tense, like he’s saying one thing and not saying something else. Sebastian’s mouth lifts on one side, his hands tightening around his cup as he turns to leave.

He gets to the door and opens it, letting the cold air rush over him, such a stark contrast to the warmth of the coffee shop. He lifts his cup to his mouth like he always does right here, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. It’s warm and rich and sweet and so--

Wait.

“Wait,” he says, swallowing the hot liquid and frowning down at his cup. “What…”

He whirls back around and lets the door close again, the bell ringing overhead. Chris is still standing there where Sebastian left him, his eyes zeroed in on Sebastian like he was waiting on this, on him.

Sebastian crosses the cafe again in a few hurried strides, his frown full and loaded with confusion as he comes to a stop in front of Chris.

“My hot chocolate,” he begins. He pauses, licking his lips, wondering if he’s wrong. Maybe he’s wrong.

“Yeah?” Chris raises his eyebrows, and Sebastian swears that he looks… hopeful.

“It’s.” He tips his head to the side, his eyebrows furrowing. “Is that… almond milk?”

Chris blushes. He turns bright pink, a lovely shade that spreads over his cheeks and to the tips of his ears. He shoves his hands in his pockets and turns to glance at Scarlett like maybe she can help him out.

“Yeah, I.” Chris licks his lips and shuffles forward, the counter pressing into his firm stomach. He’s the one who looks shy now, nervous. It makes Sebastian so desperate to touch him that he feels frantic. “I was at the store last night, and I got some. For you. Because I heard you say that you liked it better.”

“You… you got it for me? Just for me?” He can’t blink, can’t look away, can’t do anything but watch Chris squirm and fidget and be a bashful little boy because it’s beautiful. It’s magical. It’s for _him._

“I just… I just wanted to make you happy,” Chris says softly, giving a shrug of his broad shoulders and glancing up at Sebastian from under the thick fall of his eyelashes. “Cause I like you.”

“You…” It’s Sebastian’s turn to look to Scarlett for help but she’s got her head down, wiping off the espresso machine like it’s her only focus in life. He finds Chris' eyes again. “ _Me_? You like _me_?”

“Maybe,” Chris says shyly, grinning as he runs a hand over the edge of the counter. “Would that be a problem?”

“No,” Sebastian rushes out, stepping up close and setting his hot chocolate down. “God, no. Not… no. No, it would be a miracle because I’m a fucking mess and I don’t deserve--”

“You want to have dinner tonight?” Chris cuts in, hands braced on the counter so he can lean over, practically in Sebastian’s space. He’s smiling like he already knows the answer.

“With you?” Sebastian breathes.

“With me. At my place.” Chris pauses. “I’ll even make you hot chocolate.”

“I don’t drink hot chocolate _all_ the--” he stops himself, realizing the most important part of what Chris just said. He exhales in a soft little puff, and he swears that there are actually stars in his eyes. “Yeah. Yes. Yes, I would love that. A lot.”

“Finally!” Scarlett exclaims, throwing her towel in the air and clapping Chris on the shoulder on her way to the back. She turns in the doorway and gives Sebastian two thumbs-up from behind Chris.

“Jesus,” Chris mumbles, reaching up to scratch at his beard with an embarrassed laugh. “Sorry about her. How about, um. You meet me here after you get off work?”

“I get off at six,” Sebastian says, in a daze.

“Perfect. I’ll see you then.” The bell rings and voices start up as the people file in. Chris is still searching Sebastian’s eyes, and he leans over suddenly and presses a kiss to Sebastian’s mouth, his beard scratching at Sebastian’s smooth face, his mouth so soft and so warm, the tip of his tongue just barely slipping out to lick at the seam of Sebastian’s lips before he’s gone again, back on his side of the counter, his cheeks even rosier now.

Sebastian licks his now-kissed lips and reaches up to touch them before he realizes he’s doing it. He grins behind his fingers.

“Okay,” he whispers.

“Okay.” Chris beams at him, hopping on his feet like he does when he’s really happy and giving Sebastian his signature little wave. “I’ll… I’ll see you later.”

Sebastian nods, walking backwards until he’s afraid he’s going to trip over a chair. He tears his eyes away from his future date and heads for the door, not really sure how he gets there because he’s floating instead of walking.

He looks back over his shoulder at Chris who is still watching him, who looks as dazed as Sebastian feels. They grin at each other and Sebastian finally ducks back out into the city, into the world. He feels warm all over.

He takes a savoring sip of the hot chocolate, the changed taste filling his mouth, becoming the flavor of the first day of what feels like a new life.

He licks his lips and can still taste Chris underneath it all, and he knows then that he’s the sweetest thing he’s ever tasted.


End file.
